For a long time, the word “seafood” has been closely associated with “ocean” and “coastal.” However, a quiet revolution is changing this perception globally. Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) technology is pushing seafood production from coastlines inland, to the outskirts of cities, and even to the heart of deserts, fundamentally reshaping the seafood industry’s supply chain and future landscape.
Location Liberation: From “Living off the Sea” to “Aquaculture Everywhere”
Traditional aquaculture heavily relies on high-quality water sources and specific coastal geographical conditions, while the core advantage of land-based RAS lies in its unparalleled locational flexibility.
Protein Factories in Inland Cities: In major inland cities thousands of kilometers from the coast, such as Beijing and Chicago, we can establish RAS (Refreshed Aquaculture) fish farms in converted warehouses or newly built factories. This directly transforms the “deep-sea fishing” or “coastal aquaculture” model into part of “urban agriculture,” providing a stable supply of locally produced seafood to urban residents.
Blue Miracles in the Desert: In arid regions like the Middle East and North Africa, RAS technology has achieved the miracle of seafood production in the desert. Through high recycling and minimal water replenishment, RAS maximizes the efficiency of precious water resources, bringing new hope for protein self-sufficiency to water-scarce areas.
Direct Fresh Supply from Surrounding Major Cities: Establishing RAS bases around megacities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen is of particular strategic significance. It can perfectly serve high-end restaurants and fresh food supermarkets with extremely high requirements for freshness.
Reshaping the Supply Chain: A Value Revolution for “Local Fresh Products”
When seafood production can be brought infinitely closer to the consumer market, the entire supply chain is significantly shortened and optimized, bringing multiple revolutionary values.
Ultimate Freshness, Revolutionary Quality
Under traditional supply chains, seafood undergoes a long journey from catch and transportation to the table, inevitably compromising its freshness and flavor. Locally produced RAS seafood, however, can achieve “same-day delivery” or even “half-day delivery.” Consumers no longer enjoy “tired” products that have traveled a long distance, but truly “local freshness,” achieving a qualitative leap in taste and quality.
Double Reduction in Cost and Carbon Footprint
The long cold chain transportation is a significant part of seafood costs, accompanied by substantial carbon emissions. Local RAS production greatly reduces or even completely eliminates long-distance cold chain transportation, significantly lowering logistics costs and making products more price-competitive. It also significantly reduces the industry’s carbon footprint, aligning with the trend of green consumption.
Stable Supply, Unaffected by Nature
Unlike traditional ocean fishing, which is affected by fishing bans and severe weather, and pond aquaculture, which is constrained by seasonal climate changes, RAS is a year-round, uninterrupted indoor production model. It has broken free from the predicament of “relying on the weather” and can achieve planned and stable production all year round. Regardless of the cold winter or the scorching summer, it can continuously provide the market with products of consistent quality and stabilize market price fluctuations.
Land-based RAS technology is not merely an upgrade in aquaculture techniques, but a reshaping of the geography and supply chain of seafood production. It allows seafood production to transcend the natural boundaries of the ocean, integrating it into the fabric of modern cities and inland areas. By shortening the distance from production to the table, it is meeting the world’s future demand for high-quality protein in a fresher, more sustainable, and more reliable way. This is not just a technological victory, but a profound transformation of the future of food.
EN 
ES 
FR